


a small moment

by msermesth



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, Captain Marvel Vol. 10, Established Relationship, F/F, Missing Scene, Roosevelt Island Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 20:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19070197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msermesth/pseuds/msermesth
Summary: Jess pulls Carol closer to herself. Carol’s here right now, and this small time will have to do.





	a small moment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [one_of_those_crushing_scenes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_of_those_crushing_scenes/gifts).



> Set during a recent Captain Marvel arc where Radioactive Man traps a bunch of women, including a lot of Marvel heroes, on in a Post-Apocalyptic Roosevelt Island.
> 
> I hope you like it, ootcs!

“Carol? You in here?” Jess calls as she ducks her head into the room the Rebellion has been using as their base of operations. Maps, hand drawn and with various levels of accuracy, are scattered across the large table in the center of the room. There’s only one light illuminating everything and Carol’s huddled right next to it, holding one of the reconnaissance reports Jess’s team had put together before she arrived. Jess walks slowly to her, waiting for Carol to noticing she’s even there, but Carol doesn’t. “Carol?” she whispers right into Carol’s ear, and Carol jumps a good foot in the air.

“WHAT THE--” Carol screeches and then uses both hands to cover her mouth.

Jess waves and puts on the most obnoxious smile she can fake. “Hi.” Or maybe she’s not faking, after being stuck here in this hellscape, seeing Carol feels pretty damn good.

Carol’s taking deep, calming breaths, and glares at Jess like she’s going to throttle her neck. “What’re you doing?”

“I just wanted to check in on you. I noticed you hadn’t gone to bed.” Jess places a calming hand on Carol’s shoulder.

“I still have a lot of read over.” Carol motions to the stack of handwritten reports behind her. “Also, your handwriting is terrible. So, thank you for that.”

Jess chuckles but pushes the stack of papers farther away. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” The act of pushing the papers brings her a little closer to Carol, just close enough that she can feel the extra heat from Carol’s body. “Trust me when I say we’ve been doing this for a bit and the first thing you learn is to get some rest when you can.”

Carol groans, exaggerated, the way she does right before she’s about to acquiesce to whatever Jess says. “I _need_ to get caught up. People are counting on me.”

“And they’ll be counting on you tomorrow, too. And the day after that. I’ve been here for a little while, I know.” Jess gently touches Carol’s hand. It’s just the barest suggestion of anything, more a reminder to herself that she can.

It has been so long.

Carol opens her hand and threads her fingers through Jess’s. “You’ve done some really good work here.”

“It’s going to be better now that you’re here.” Jess means it, every word. It isn’t just the sheer relief that someone like Carol, a natural leader, is here to do the difficult work of managing the resistance, work that Jess just doesn’t feel properly equipped for. “It always is.” Because it’s not just the last three weeks without Carol that she’s struggled with--there’s all the time before where Carol was in space or MIA with her family and Jess has missed having her near.

“I don’t want to let you down.” Carol turns in front of Jess so that they’re chest to chest and their clasped hands are raised like their about to dance.

Jess presses a light kiss to the edge of Carol’s lips. “You won’t, I know it.” Carol wraps her arm around Jess’s waist, pulls her close and now it feels like their dancing. “Now, come to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

Carol doesn’t move to go and Jess doesn’t pull her; they just stand there, swaying ever-so-slightly to nonexistent music. Carol’s uncharacteristically quiet, but then again, so is Jess. She wants to say _I missed you_ , but she’s scared if she does, it’ll just act as a reminder of all the reasons they’ve been apart.

Loving a superhero is difficult, even on the best days. Carol’s probably easier than most--she’s much harder to kill than the average Avenger--but the fear of such a possibility never really leaves.

That fear, though, is only one thing that hangs over Jess’s thoughts. Carol may be almost indestructible, but she’s never in one place for very long, never straying in a place Jess can be beside her.

Jess pulls Carol closer to herself. Carol’s here right now, and this small time will have to do. So Jess asks again, softly against Carol’s ear, “If I promise to give you detailed reports while we fall asleep, will you come to bed?”

Carol chuckles. “You’re superpower is stubbornness, you know that? I bet that’s what’s in the Avengers database.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course.” Carol kisses her. “I rather spend my energy getting us out of here than fighting with you.” Another kiss. "And I missed you."

 


End file.
